


Heaven Is A Place On Earth

by luminfics, mingxeok



Series: Round 2018 [20]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2019-06-06 21:10:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15203531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luminfics/pseuds/luminfics, https://archiveofourown.org/users/mingxeok/pseuds/mingxeok
Summary: It's been almost a month since the outbreak, but with Minseok by his side, Lu Han's certain that they can survive anything.





	Heaven Is A Place On Earth

**Author's Note:**

> Username: anonymous until reveals  
> Prompt Number: self prompt  
> Title: Heaven Is A Place On Heart  
> Rating: Nc-17
> 
> Warnings: violence, gore, body horror, death, major character death

 

A hand softly shakes him awake.

 

“It’s your turn to drive,” Minseok whispers from the driver’s seat. They’ve stopped on the side of the road, the city a mere shadow in the rear-view mirror. “We’re about thirty minutes away from the nearest town.”

 

Lu Han sighs, stretching as far as the cramped confinements will allow. “Let’s just rest here for a bit first.” He spies Minseok gratefully squeezing the wheel and thumping his head back into the seat.

 

The sky is clear today, warm sunlight washing over them, a comforting hand much appreciated in times like these. On either side of them is what Lu Han would describe as pure country, sprawling fields and rolling hills of calming green. There are a few houses by the end of the fields, but he and Minseok both know that they won’t hold anything worth wasting gas to get to them.

 

Lu Han breaks the silence first. “How’re we looking with food?”

 

Minseok cracks open an eye and twists in his seat, reaching into the back to grab their duffel bag. He unzips is quickly and jostles it to reveal a few protein bars and two bottles of water. “You tell me.”

 

The houses across the field are looking tempting now. They could walk there, but they’d be in the open, and who knows how many of the infected are resting within the tall grass. It’s a bright, sunny day, and Lu Han deems it not a day worth dying for.

 

“We’ll find something. The next town…hopefully.” There isn’t much to be hopeful for these days, but with the emptiness, comes the odd sense of peace. Lu Han ignores the growing ache in his stomach and rolls down the window, taking in the crisp country air. “We’ve been pretty lucky so far too.”

 

“It sure feels nice not having to fight for your life,” Minseok comments dryly, tapping out a loose rhythm against the steering wheel. “D’you think it might be over by now?”

 

It has only been at least a month before the outbreak. Lu Han still remembers seeing lurching shadows as they drove down abandoned streets, and knows it won’t be long before they see them again.

 

Minseok fishes under their seats and grabs a half-empty bottle of water. He takes a minuscule sip before passing it to Lu Han. “Will we outlive this?” He turns and faces him, eyes determined. “Can we outlive this?”

 

Lu Han’s gaze wanders to Minseok’s hand that rests on his, up his bare muscled arms, across the collarbones exposed by the flimsy tank top, to his face, dark circles and healing cuts. These questions come by every few days, the answers always the same. “Together, we can do anything.”

 

Minseok breaks into a tilted smile. “You say that, but we’re still down on food.” He pushes Lu Han’s face away as the other leans into kiss him. “Is break time over? Our supplies aren’t going to raid themselves.”

 

“I dunno, don’t you just wanna relax a bit? I know you’ve been driving for a while.” Lu Han watches as Minseok cranks down his own window and unbuckles his seat belt. He already seems to know that they won’t be leaving anytime soon.

 

They stay like that, sitting quiet and content in the car they’d stolen back when the outbreak was rippling through the city. Even with the windows rolled down, the only sounds they hear are their own breathing and the occasional rustle of a breeze through leaves. No birdsong, no chirps from insects, nothing. They’ve vanished, “as if they knew,” Minseok had commented when they’d drove past the zoo. He’d jumped out, wanting to look at the animals before leaving the city for good, but when they climbed over the turnstiles, the whole place was completely empty, enclosures, cages, tanks, all void of the life they used to hold.

 

Lu Han reaches over and threads his fingers through Minseok’s. It’s an odd feeling, knowing that they might be the last humans truly alive in the world. However, as Lu Han checks his phone and scrolls through yet another social networking site, he knows it’s not the case. The outbreak seemed to wipe everything out but the water, electricity, and the internet. Even now, people are posting updates on areas concentrated with the infected, planning meetups, begging for food and resources.

 

Minseok leans over to read a new report on what exactly is infecting people and turning them into monsters. “They’re calling it a virus now? Looks like the antibiotics I almost died for are useless, huh?” He thumps back into his seat, disgruntled.

 

Lu Han switches his phone off, wary of the battery. He could charge it anywhere with a port, but staying in one place for too long has its consequences. “Let’s get moving.” He opens the car door to switch places with Minseok, stretching his legs in the process. Minseok climbs out too, swinging his arms around and glancing over to the houses on the other side of the field. Lu Han knows what’s on his mind.

“Maybe we can check on those ones on later,” Minseok comments absent-mindedly as he settles into the passenger seat. “It’s isolated enough. If everyone’s gone...we could stay there.”

 

Lu Han hums in acknowledgement, starting the car up and easing it back onto the road. He drives them to their next destination in silence, mulling over the possibility of setting up home in one of those nice houses surrounded by acres of fields and forests. Food will always be an issue, but at least they’d have a nice place to stay at, away from the fear and chaos brewing behind them. He glances up at the rearview mirror, the silhouette of their city slowly shrinking out of view.

 

Minseok stares almost forlornly as the houses disappear behind thick forest. He turns back, shakes his head as if to clear an intrusive thought, before closing his eyes. Taking a nap, Lu Han supposes.

 

Minseok’s never been much a survivor, but has that sure changed. Lu Han sneaks glances towards his snoozing partner every few minutes. He still remembers the very first days, with Minseok practically clinging to his sleeve. It had been hard for both of them, seeing pools of blood, bodies strewn throughout the streets, people killing each other for the smallest scraps of food, but it had hit Minseok worse. In a way, the outbreak changed them for the better, and as always, it’s survival of the fittest. It’s a dog eat dog world world now. Lu Han chuckles at the irony of it all.

 

The rest of the drive is mostly uneventful, with Lu Han only speeding up at the sight of an overturned car by the road. He’s glad Minseok is asleep, he would have wanted to go and check for survivors.

 

They eventually stop at a welcome sign. It’s Lu Han’s turn to shake Minseok awake.

 

Minseok blinks groggily, squinting at the sign and blinking up at the cloudless sky. It’s around noon. “This place? You think there’s still people here?”

 

“Maybe it hasn’t gotten here yet. It’s pretty far out from the city.” Lu Han scans the buildings, but he can already see blood-splattered cars and the occasional limb scattered through the streets. “We’ll have to be careful.”

 

It’s times like this that Lu Han wishes they had a patsy or something– send them in to raid for resources while they stay in the car, ready to pull away at even the slightest motion. Neither of them wants to go in alone.

 

The town they’ve stopped at doesn't look too promising, but at this point, they have little choice. It’s surrounded by a forest and it looks like they’ll have to drive through it if they want to continue on this road, which is risky with all the debris cluttering the place. Looks like they might end up heading back to the houses by the fields after all. Lu Han shrugs and rummages through the glove compartment for his earplugs. Hopefully, he won't be needing them.

 

They exit the car quietly, pulling out empty backpacks from the back seat, their weapons, and close the doors softly. Lu Han tests the weight of his shotgun in his hands. It's been a while since he's had to use it. Minseok slips on a jacket and takes a few practice swings of his bat, a shiny thing of aluminium– modest but destructive. A little bit like Minseok himself, Lu Han muses.

Lu Han takes Minseok’s hand and squeezes it. He leans down to press his lips against Minseok’s, a little good-luck charm before they dive head first into total carnage for their own survival. Minseok smiles into the kiss, before they break and hold, familiarising themselves with the tempo of the other’s heart beat. They never know when it’ll be their last.

 

“Okay,” Lu Han whispers and he squeezes Minseok’s hand once again. “Let’s go.”

 

They trek into the town, eyeing the silent buildings and the stores interspersed between them. The streets are crowded with husks of cars and the occasional body, though too decomposed to pose a threat. To the sides are residential areas, places they want to avoid. It's just lucky the layout is like this or else they'd have to skip.

 

Lu Han motions to what appears to be a small convenience store of sorts wedged into a corner. It’s not far and looks relatively less ravaged than the other stores around it, which is a rarity nowadays.

 

As they push open the door, a soft bell chimes through the emptiness of their surroundings. It's dark inside, light pushing feebly through the windows covered with newspapers. Most of the shelves look empty, but some of the products scattered across the floor look promising. There’s a small cooler in the back, its light weak, with a few bottles of water and soft drink left, a closed door and a medicine cabinet behind the counter to his left. A rack of magazines and yellowing newspapers squats beside them. It’s clearly been raided before. Lu Han gives Minseok a look. Minseok nods and raises his bat.

 

Carefully, Lu Han taps the heel of his boot into the dusty floor. It makes a hollow sound, sending a spark up both of their spines. He keeps one hand on the door as Minseok inches forward.

 

Nothing.

 

The elder breathes a sigh of relief, but they both remain guarded. Lu Han closes the door softly, then instantly moves towards the counter, eyeing the rotting sandwiches in the food warmer beside it. As usual, there are no flies, just mould. There are batteries nearby, and he grabs those too. His backpack rumbles with its new load.

 

He expertly climbs over to fiddle at the medicine cabinet behind it, surprised that no one seems to have gotten to them yet. A quick search of the counter yields the keys, and within seconds, the shelves are empty and Lu Han is a little more optimistic with their potential to outlast the entire outbreak. An amber glimmer catches his eye, and a grin forms across his face when he spots a small bottle of soju tucked away in a shelf behind the counter. Alcohol is more than a rarity nowadays. He takes it without a second thought, slightly disappointed to find that it’s only half-full. Nevertheless, it’s better than nothing.

 

“Minseok!” Lu Han whispers, waving it above his head like a trophy.

 

The other draws up, alarmed and with his bat at the ready, but sighs when he spots Lu Han’s gleeful expression. The tension between his eyebrows unknots, and a small smile tugs at his mouth. he gives a thumbs up, before ducking down and continuing with his foraging.

 

Lu Han places it carefully into his bag, before climbing over the counter and scooping up the few tin cans discarded throughout the store. They’re all full, but upon closer inspection, they’re all cat food too. He shrugs to himself and tucks them into the bag anyway.

 

“Anything?” He crouches down next to Minseok and slips the now heavier backpack off his shoulders.

 

The elder gives a defeated smile and shakes his head. He offers his own backpack, revealing a couple of flashlights, two canisters of dry shampoo and insect repellent, and three bags of lollies. “You?”

 

Lu Han pushes his bag forward, hiding a snicker when Minseok grimaces at the tinned cat food nestled amongst the medication and batteries. “I guess it’s better than nothing,” He whispers, before indicating to the back wall of the store. The cooler hums to them enticingly. They haven’t checked that area yet.

 

The drinks are still cold when Lu Han takes them out. He counts a total of five bottles of water, four of soda and a small bottle of chocolate milk tucked into the very corner. Suddenly, he feels extremely thirsty. Minseok doesn’t waste any time with snatching the water out of his hands and opening it. He tips his head back, taking a grateful swig. Lu Han watches the motion roll down Minseok’s throat.

 

“Will it fit?” Lu Han murmurs as Minseok lays out both of their backpacks and reorganises its contents. He takes out their weapons, placing them carefully on the dusty ground before slotting the bottles into the very bottom of each bag.

 

“Cans’ll make a shit ton of noise if we need to run,” Minseok explains as he stacks the cat food on top of the soft plastic of their drinks. After a few minutes, he deems the sorting of their loot satisfactory and helps Lu Han hoist his backpack back onto his shoulders. It’s not as heavy as he’d expected it to be. Minseok hands him his shotgun and prepares to leave when a hand catches his.

 

Lu Han gestures and snickers at the lone pack of condoms still remaining on another shelf. A few seconds pass between them, with the elder staring at him incredulously. Eventually, Minseok rolls his eyes and twists around for Lu Han to shove them into his pack. It’s not like they have time for fucking in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, but you never know when the moment might arise.

 

After a double check of the store, Lu Han gives Minseok a celebratory slap to the shoulder, deeming it a successful raid, and motions to the exit.

 

A shadow passes by outside, and instantly, they split, each taking one side of the store and hunkering down behind the shelves.

 

Lu Han swallows, the cheerful mood dissipating immediately. Sweat rolls down his temple as the door knob jiggles. The shadow seems to pull back, before the door thunders in its frame and the whole store shakes around them, raining down dust. He glances to Minseok, who’s knuckles are turning white from the grip around his bat.

 

He doesn’t have a lot of ammunition left. The shells themselves will do a lot of damage, but it’s not worth it if it’s only one of the infected hammering at the door. Minseok will have to take care of it.

 

The sound of nails scraping against wood fills their ears, something cracks as its thrown against the door, jostling it and weakening the structure. Lu Han swallows and curls his hands around the length of his shotgun, prepared to use it as a club if necessary.

 

The doorknob twists wildly, almost desperately, but they both know that whatever is trying to get in is not human, at least, not anymore.

 

Suddenly, it’s quiet. The doorknob turns slowly.

 

_ “Hello?” _

 

Lu Han clams up. He doesn’t dare move, even to check on Minseok.

 

_ “Hello…” _

 

The figure thumps against the door one last time before retreating. Lu Han can hear the disjointed crunching and the dragging of shoes and prays to whatever god still up there that it doesn’t come back.

 

They sit there for what feels like hours. Neither has the courage to even swallow the saliva gathering in their mouths. Eventually, Lu Han risks a quick signal, a soft click of his fingers. Minseok clicks back and they both release the breaths they hadn’t realised they’d been holding. Minseok’s bag holds the cans, so Lu Han crawls over to keep the noise at its minimum.

 

“Shit.” Is all he says, in the softest voice he can muster. “How do we get out?” He motions to Minseok’s bag. “Should we dump the cans?”

 

Minseok pulls a pained expression. “We don’t have much food left. We might be able to make it...the car’s not too far away.”

 

“Run for it?”

 

A nod. “There can’t be too many of them. We can fight our way out too.”

 

Lu Han pauses. “That’s not like you at all. You sure?”

 

Minseok offers a small laugh. “Must be the adrenaline.”

 

There’s no time to waste. They both rise, hoisting their backpacks high. To their relief, the cans don’t make too much noise, but if they need to run, they’ll have to run fast.

 

Lu Han eyes Minseok’s backpack. “Do...you want me to carry that?”

 

Minseok softly laughs again. “You just focus on shooting them.”

 

They make their way to the door. Lu Han has his hand on the door knob, which feels more loose than when he first turned it. The car is parked right outside; it only took them two or so minutes to reach the store, with dodging around dead bodies and a large truck taking up most of the time. If they run, they can make it. Definitely.

 

Lu Han opens the door to just a crack, mindful of the bell, and sticks the muzzle of his shot gun out. Nothing comes to attack them, so he opens it further, stepping back into the street with Minseok close behind.

 

The car is literally within their view.

 

A hand grabs his sleeve and Lu Han twists, alarmed.

 

Terror is written all over Minseok’s face. He motions to a large pile-up of cars up the street to their left. They’d seen it on the way in, but it’s only at this angle that Lu Han realises that behind it all is a surging mob. The other one must have come from there. They’re not close, but not too far away either.

 

Maybe they can still make it. But if they start running, they will start too, and they are fast.

 

Lu Han hears something jitter behind him and judging by the way Minseok curls his fists around the handle of the bat, he knows they can’t outrun this one.

 

He doesn’t move, doesn’t turn his head. Minseok is his eyes now. In return, he’ll watch the infected crowd behind Minseok.

 

Minseok moves suddenly, slipping his backpack off his shoulders and vaulting it over the van in their way, towards their car– to distract and to scoop up along the way back. Without stopping, he twists round Lu Han and makes a mighty swing. The wet crunch Lu Han hears is enough confirmation that the blow has connected.

 

Unfortunately, the crowd by the cars has heard too.

 

Lu Han switches off the safety on his gun, his heart racing as what appears to be a wave of bodies scampers towards them, some on two legs, others on all fours, leaping, bounding, scuttling. The street isn’t too wide, meaning that they just might be able to do this.

 

Minseok makes quick work on the infected behind Lu Han, slamming the bat hard into its skull and splattering blood and brain matter all over the pavement.

 

Their route is interrupted by the overturned truck. They both know that in the time it takes to go around it, the mob will reach them. 

 

“I love you,” Lu Han blurts out, gripping his shotgun and readying to take aim. His ear plugs rest forgotten in his pocket.

 

“Relax,” Minseok laughs, stuttery and not confident at all. “We’re not dead yet.”

 

An infected leaps at them, face slack but mouth stretched wide into a cavernous, toothy grin. Minseok takes a swipe with his bat, taking its head clean off its shoulders. The headless body thumps against the road, spasms once, before falling still together. The virus seems to make the bones weak, an edge that is greatly appreciated.

 

Two more come, one prancing crookedly, dried blood caked around the missing chunk in its neck, the other scampering like a spider on wrists and ankles, its joints clearly broken. More surge behind them and Lu Han pulls the trigger. The spray catches five of them, ripping off flesh like nothing; the strength of the blast blows them back into the approaching mob. Many trip over the bodies, some get up, some don’t. 

 

Their ears burn and ring at the explosive sound. Minseok winces. Sound draws the infected like flies to honey. Lu Han’s gun is a double-edged sword but it’s what they’ve got.

 

Lu Han feels around in his vest. He’s not sure how many shells he has left, but he can’t use them all on this crowd. Minseok takes care of any that get too close, his swings brutally accurate. One manages to stumble ahead, and Minseok slams his bat down, crushing the head like an egg and splattering gore over the both of them. He grunts out an apology as Lu Han fires again, twice in quick succession, blasting through.

 

They could retreat into the store and try and find another exit, but to his relief, Lu Han can see the end of the mob. It seems only half were of the violent type, the other half the dazed and unresponsive.

 

With their future shining bright, Lu Han fires into the crowd again and again, spraying blood and bone fragments left and right. The road soon becomes piled with twitching bodies and reaching hands.

 

Some climb over that pile, jumping high but meeting their end with Minseok’s shiny and blood-stained bat. Lu Han is still impressed with the amount of strength the other has in his arms, that even one swing can take heads and limbs straight off. It might also be the virus’ doing, reports had noted that the infected’s bones broke more easily.

 

An infected manages to squirm its way out of the mass of bodies and lunges towards him, clawed hand twitching, its remaining eye large and bloodshot. Minseok grabs Lu Han by the back of his shirt and pulls him out of the way. His bat crunches into its arm, then into its neck, snapping it like a twig. It falls to the ground, gagging, tongue out and eyes staring. Lu Han kicks it in the face, crumpling it like paper.

 

Another infected is faster, hurling itself at him and sending them both sprawling to the ground. He drops his gun, and in an instant, he loses all the calm he’s had from experience. Lu Han screams and thrashes, their scuffle sending his gun further away. He can’t reach for it, his hands too busy trying to keep the gnashing teeth away from his face. He screams for Minseok, who finishes off an infected with another powerful swing, before slotting his bat in front of the neck on the one of Lu Han. He yanks, Lu Han hears a crack, and he gets his feet up to push the body off his.

 

“Gun,” He gasps, spotting it a few metres away. Minseok tosses him his own bat as he quickly goes over to retrieve it. Lu Han staggers to his feet, kicking at the infected that’s still somehow alive. He raises the bat and brings it down hard, its head exploding from the impact and casting brain matter across the already bloody ground.

 

Minseok fires his own shot from the shotgun, knocking back few of the more dedicated infected. They switch weapons and resume their attack.

 

“Thanks,” He calls as he reloads.

 

“Be careful,” Minseok responds breathlessly.

 

Lu Han’s not sure how long they've been at this. They’re both caked in blood and specks of flesh, the scent of burning meat rests heavy in the air. His hands are almost black from the gunpowder, his fingers hurt from the reloading. Minseok’s hands are stained red, his knuckles are white from the tight grip he has around his bat. But the horde is thinning, and the number of broken bodies are growing. They need to make their escape soon.

 

The ones at the back, the less aggressive ones, wander around not aimlessly, but with purpose. People had noticed that some of the infected seemed to be stuck in loops of their daily lives, like one appearing to be mowing the lawn and the other crouching down to pet an invisible animal. It makes them more human, and for that reason, Minseok has never been able to bring himself to kill them. They might look exactly the same as the other infected, faces slack, eyes unfocused, mouth gaping, dark inflamed veins and missing chunks of their flesh, but the fact that they still remember is enough. Maybe they’re just hopeful that there’s a cure, a way to bring them back. And if that’s what Minseok believes, Lu Han will believe it too. He turns his sights on the remaining aggressive infected.

 

There’s about six struggling to clamber over the pile of smoking bodies. One rolls down the small hill, a mess of flailing limbs, and doesn’t even bother to put itself back on its two feet, instead pulling itself over on splayed hands while snapping its jaws. It pulverises its own teeth but it just keeps going. Minseok surges forward, swinging his bat like a golf club and launching its head off into the distance. Lu Han can’t help but laugh as he quickly reloads and fires one last round at the remaining ones, blasting new holes into their crooked bodies. They drop and add to the red mess coating the street.

 

Lu Han quickly swings his gun around, travelling over the piles of infected corpses. Despite the feeble twitching, they’re no longer a threat. Like regular humans, any gunshot wound will kill them eventually. Just like regular humans, they don’t live forever.

 

“Did...we do it?” Minseok asks softly, dropping his bat. It clangs against the ground but the piles of bodies only spasm in response. There’s countless bodies spread through the road– he could easily say over fifty. It almost looks like a lump carpet of meat. Lu Han’s stomach turns and he allows himself a little break, dropping down and heaving towards the pavement. But yes, they’ve done it. 

 

He looks up, ready to celebrate with Minseok, but the smile drops straight off his face.

 

Standing on top of the overturned truck is a young girl. Was. It's clearly infected too, bloodshot eyes and yawning mouth. Her dress is crusty with blood, half her right arm is chewed off.

 

Minseok doesn’t see her. He doesn’t see what Lu Han’s looking at. He’s still smiling, relieved, his eyes shiny with tears and as he wipes the sweat from his brow, he still doesn’t notice her jittering softly.

 

The girl, probably no older than five, propels herself at Minseok. The shadow she casts arrives too late and Minseok goes down instantly. He manages to twist himself around as she tries to bite a chunk out of his face.

 

Lu Han can’t use his gun. If he fires, it’ll hit Minseok too. Minseok’s screaming, trying to throw her off him but she clings tightly. She’s small and fast, but Lu Han needs to move faster.

 

Minseok’s bat. Lu Han scoops it off the ground and does what Minseok did for him; he gets it around her scrawny neck and pulls. She’s small enough that her scrawny neck doesn’t snap, instead, she’s thrown off completely, and she clatters to the ground, still chirping.

 

Lu Han wastes no time but can’t bring himself to crush her head. Infected children are the hardest to kill, even when they’re a threat. He makes do with mangling her limbs, to stop her from launching herself again.

 

_ “Mama.” _ She croaks, reaching up to the sky and waving her zigzag limbs.

 

Minseok doesn’t get up.

 

Lu Han immediately drops down, his heart threatening to jump out his throat. “M-Minseok?” He pulls Minseok up, giving him a light shake from the shoulders. His eyes are closed, his mouth slightly open. He doesn’t seem to be injured, despite being covered in blood. “Minseok?”

 

He sees it.

 

On Minseok’s neck, is a bit mark. The indentation is light. Lu Han has hope.

 

Minseok suddenly opens his eyes. His body jolts. He hisses and spits up blood, his eyes and mouth wide and red. "Kill me," he snarls, holding Luhan in a paralysing glare. "Kill me now, or I'll kill you."

 

Luhan drops him in shock. He scoots away and stares, dumbfounded as Minseok writhes against the asphalt, blood from the others smearing more into his clothes and skin.

 

“No…” Lu Han breathes.

 

He watches the virus pulse from the bite. Minseok’s veins darken. It swirls into his face and down his neck. All Luhan can do is stare as it shoots through his limbs.

 

_ “Lu Han” _ , Minseok growls, but he’s not angry. He’s afraid. “ _ Please.” _

 

Lu Han finds his hand curling around Minseok’s aluminium bat. It’s sticky in his palm. “I-I can’t.” He stutters.

 

_ “Please,” _ Minseok begs, blood dripping from his mouth and tears from his eyes. He seems to be holding himself back from getting up. He simply lies there, limbs heavy. He turns to face Lu Han. His eye is bloodshot.  _ “Please.” _

 

Lu Han swallows, and crawls over, the bat dragging behind him. His heart jackhammers against his throat. He takes Minseok’s face. He’s flushed. His entire body trembles. Lu Han stares into Minseok’s eyes. He leans down, his own tears mingling with Minseok’s. He leans down, and kisses Minseok, drops the bat to hold his face in both hands. He kisses him, and his heart bursts when he feels Minseok kissing him back desperately.

 

“I love you, Minseok.” Lu Han whispers as he pulls away. He thumbs Minseok’s tears away but they don't stop. He swallows again. Minseok never liked goodbyes. He takes his bat and slowly rises to his feet.

 

Minseok starts to jitter, teeth gnashing against each other, nails scratching wildly, looking for something to tear.

 

Lu Han raises the bat.


End file.
